The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has appointed George Botic as acting chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).  

The decision follows the recent resignation of the former chair, Erica Williams. 

SEC chairman Paul Atkins said: “I thank Erica Williams for her dedicated service on the Board, and I look forward to working with George Botic as Acting Chair.”  

Botic, a certified public accountant, has been a member of the PCAOB board since October 2023.  

His experience within the body includes his role as the director of the PCAOB’s division of registration and inspections and supervised accounting firms that audit public companies trading in the US, as well as audits of broker-dealers. 

His previous assignments within the PCAOB include serving as the director of the office of international affairs, advising former chairperson James Doty and contributed as the deputy director of the registration and inspections division.  

Botic’s pre-PCAOB experience included a tenure as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Botic stated: “I am honoured to work with the SEC and the staff of the PCAOB as acting chair to ensure that we meet the mission established by Congress.”  

The former chair, Erica Williams, who took office in January 2022 and received reappointment in October 2024, was known for her work in updating auditing standards and refining the board’s inspection and enforcement strategies, as well as its operational efficiency. 

The PCAOB is tasked with the oversight of audits pertaining to public entities, including brokers and dealers, through its comprehensive programs.  

The SEC is vested with the authority to appoint the PCAOB’s board members and its chairperson.